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If prostate cancer spreads

  1. Home
  2. Cancer information
  3. Cancer types
  4. Prostate
  5. If cancer spreads
Print
Last medical review:

Cancer cells can spread from the prostate to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis.

Understanding how a type of cancer usually grows and spreads helps your healthcare team plan your treatment and future care. If prostate cancer spreads, it can spread to the:

  • bladder
  • urethra
  • ejaculatory ducts (the ducts that run from the seminal vesicles to the part of the urethra that passes through the prostate)
  • seminal vesicles (the glands on each side of the prostate)
  • rectum
  • pelvic wall
  • lymph nodes in the pelvis
  • lymph nodes outside the pelvis
  • bones
  • lungs
  • liver
  • brain

Expert review and references

  • Peter Chung, MBChB, FRCPC
  • Krista Noonan, MD, FRCPC
  • American Joint Committee on Cancer. AJCC Cancer Staging Handbook. 7th ed. Chicago: Springer; 2010.
  • Brierley JD, Gospodarowicz MK, Wittekind C (eds.). TNM Classification of Malignant Tumours. 8th ed. Wiley Blackwell; 2017.
  • Hermanns T, Kuk C, Zlotta AR . Clinical presentation, diagnosis and staging. Nargund VH, Raghavan D, Sandler HM (eds.). Urological Oncology. Springer; 2015: 40: 697-718.
  • National Comprehensive Cancer Network . NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology: Prostate Cancer (Version 3.2020) . 2020 .
  • Zelefsky MJ, Morris MJ, Eastham JA. Cancer of the prostate. DeVita VT Jr., Lawrence TS, Rosenberg SA, eds.. DeVita, Hellman, and Rosenberg's Cancer: Principles & Practice of Oncology. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Wolters Kluwer; 2019: 70: 1087-1136.

Medical disclaimer

The information that the Canadian Cancer Society provides does not replace your relationship with your doctor. The information is for your general use, so be sure to talk to a qualified healthcare professional before making medical decisions or if you have questions about your health.

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